The Church of St. Simeon the Pillars beyond Yauza is an Orthodox church located in the Tagansky district of Moscow. It has beautiful architecture, a long and interesting history. The temple of Simeon the Stylite beyond Yauza, its features and history will be described in the article.
Story
The temple of Simeon Stolpnik beyond Yauza was built in 1600 by order of Boris Godunov. As you know, he ascended the throne on September 1, 1598, on the day when they remember Simeon the Stolpnik. According to some historians, it was for this reason that the king ordered to build a church in his honor. Initially, it was built of wood, but according to the Scribe book, the Simeonovsky temple is mentioned as stone at the end of the 17th century.
In 1731, restructuring of the church began at the expense of donors, but before this, Father Peter Nikonov, on behalf of the parishioners, addressed the Empress Anna Ioannovna for permission to start work. After receiving it, according to the records that were preserved in the archive of the church, in November of the same year, the chapel in the name of St. Nicholas was consecrated. Two years later, the main throne of the temple of Simeon the Stylite was consecrated beyond Yauza.
New construction
In 1752, a significant event took place in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church - the relics of St. Dmitry Rostovsky. After his canonization, pilgrims from all over the country rushed to the relics. Thrones began to be erected in churches in his honor, and in churches where the relics of the saint were present, more and more believers became more every day. In Moscow, in honor of Dmitry Rostovsky, at that time more than 12 thrones were consecrated. After receiving the imperishable relics of the saint, it was decided to make a throne in his honor in the temple of Simeon the Stolpnik beyond Yauza.
In 1763, the cloth manufacturer A.I. Malinkov allocated an impressive amount for a new refectory with two aisles. The patron also sponsored the construction of a new bell tower. The author of the refectory project was the architect I.M. Nazarov. The construction was completed in 1768, the chapels were consecrated in honor of Dmitry Rostovsky and St. Nicholas. However, the construction of the bell tower for unknown reasons was postponed.
Temple in the 18th century
In 1785, a church fence and gate were erected around the perimeter. It is noteworthy that they have survived to the present. Four years later, the construction of a new bell tower is ending, the funds for which were allocated by A. I. Malinkov.
By the end of the 18th century, the church with its main chapel located in it was quite dilapidated, and the question arose about its repair. The rector of the church, Nikolai Fedorov, petitioned Metropolitan Plato for the reconstruction of the church. After some time, the Temple Charter was received with the blessing of the Metropolitan.
In 1792, large industrialists I.R. Batashev and S.P. Vasiliev, who were parishioners of the church, allocated the necessary funds for the reconstruction of the church of St. Simeon the Pillar behind Yauza. With great changes after this alteration, the church has survived to the present.
The construction of a new temple
The masons invited from Suzdal quickly built a new church. The design of the temple provided for its construction in the form of a rotunda, which had a powerful and high dome. The height of the dome should have corresponded to the height of the pillar, on which, according to legend, Simeon Stolpnik spent 37 years.
However, the construction technology was violated, and almost immediately the erected temple collapsed, while the refectory was severely damaged. I.R. Batashev and other parishioners again raised the necessary amount for the construction of the church, but now the parish has ceded a plot of their land on which the manufacturer subsequently built a huge house. By the end of the century, the temple was completed, but its decoration stretched for a long 10 years.
New destruction
Upon completion of the finishing work in the church, the Patriotic War of 1812 broke out. They did not have time to consecrate the temple, since Moscow was occupied by the Napoleonic army. The church suffered greatly from the atrocities of the French and the fire.
After the victory over the Napoleonic troops, the servants of the church of Simeon Stolpnik beyond Yauza returned to the ashes. All wooden buildings burned down, and the recently completed beautiful temple turned into a charred stone skeleton.
However, by the end of 1813, the main temple was repaired and provided with church utensils with the help of parishioners and donors. The restoration of the remaining aisles lasted until 1820 due to their large size, and also due to the fact that they were destroyed almost completely. At the end of 1820, the Dmitrievsky chapel was restored and consecrated.
Restoration of the temple complex
Until the mid-19th century, capital work in the church was not carried out, however, it was decorated, including the manufacture of a new iconostasis for the main aisle.
In 1852, cracks formed in the ceiling of one of the aisles, and the inspection showed that the supporting beams had decayed because of their age. It was decided - in a short time to carry out all repairs to avoid further destruction. Two years later, all work was completed and consecration took place.
In 1863, the history of the church of Simeon Stolpnik was enriched with a good event. Merchants O. Tulaev and G. Voronin presented the church with a new bell weighing 418 pounds. For its installation, it was necessary to strengthen the walls of the bell tower.
Until the end of the 19th century, work continued on the decorative design, reconstruction and decoration of the temple. As a result, the church was built in the style of classicism. A tall and voluminous rotunda rose above the main quadrangle, which has porticoes. The dome part was decorated with lucarnes (round windows). A thin, graceful drum with a small head crowned the upper one.
Church in the 20-21 centuries
In the mid 20-ies of the 20th century there was a chance of closing the temple. Because of this, Archpriest N. Benevolensky, being the rector of the church, transferred the main shrines (the image of St. Simeon Stolpnik, the icon of St. Dmitry Rostovsky and a particle of his relics) to the Pokrovsky church, which was nearby. In 1929, the Simeonovsky temple was closed. In the Intercession Church, where the shrines were transferred, they consecrated the accession throne in the name of Simeon the Stolpnik.
The premises of the Simeonovsky temple were rebuilt and refitted. The building was transferred to the Moscow Institute of Advanced Studies. In 1965, the City School for Personnel Management under the Moscow City Executive Committee was located within its walls.
In 1995, services were resumed in the church of Simeon Stolpnik, and the church itself was transferred to the ROC. In a solemn and festive atmosphere, all of its shrines returned here, and its gradual restoration began. At present, the church has a school for church choral singing, a Sunday school, restoration and icon painting workshops, as well as a publishing house.
Church of Simeon the Pillars: reviews
According to the parishioners who visited the Simeonovsky temple, this is an unusual place filled with a bright aura that attracts and encourages you to come here again and again.
Local residents and guests of the capital note that the Simeonovskaya Church stands out clearly from other churches in Moscow. It is impossible to confuse it with any other. The style of solemn classicism is its unique architectural feature.
According to the reviews of those who at least once visited the Simeonovsky temple, this is one of those many places in Moscow that you should definitely visit. Here you will learn about its complicated and interesting history, and you can also admire its beautiful interior and exterior decoration. The photo of the church of Simeon Stolpnik shows its exoticism in comparison with traditional Russian temple architecture. In addition to aesthetic beauty, one can feel the blessed energy of this place, which attracts thousands of parishioners.